1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an earphone receiver. More particularly, the present invention relates to an earphone that provides improved sound quality suitable for the hearing characteristics of a user and provides excellent wear sensation by providing an individual earcap suitable for the user's ear.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the electronics industry has developed, various multimedia apparatuses have emerged. One advanced characteristic of these multimedia apparatuses is the maximization of portability. Examples of such multimedia apparatuses include mobile terminals that are exploiting convergence such as portable Motion Picture Expert Group Audio Layer-3 (MP3) players, portable multimedia players, and various portable game apparatuses. Since these apparatuses are small and meant to be carried by users in public, users primarily use an earphone electrically connected to an earphone jack installed in a relevant apparatus rather than using a loud speaker built into the apparatus in order to enjoy the audio output of the apparatus and not to hinder other people.
Generally, the earphone includes two receivers that can be respectively mounted in or on a user's two ears, each receiver having a cable with a predetermined length. One receiver is electrically connected to one end of the cable. The other end of the cable has an earphone connector that can be connected to an earphone jack or a connector of an apparatus. Furthermore, an earphone apparatus for use with a mobile communication terminal may also have a microphone unit that can transmit a user's voice.
The above-described earphone is an abbreviation of an earphone receiver, and denotes a receiver designed to have a small size so that it can be mounted in or on a user's ear. Structurally, the earphone may be classified into a crystal receiver and a magnetic receiver. The crystal receiver operates a vibrating plate using a piezo-electric effect of a crystal device. The magnetic receiver operates a vibrating plate by allowing a voice current to directly flow through a coil.
The above earphone fixes a small speaker using a specific housing to be inserted into a user's ear and connects an access end, integrally connected to the earphone, to the above apparatus to allow a sound form of the speaker integrally mounted on the earphone to be directly emitted to the user's ear so that the user is able to hear sounds output from a connected device. The earphone is used primarily in an indoor space so that the user can enjoy sounds output from a connected device without hindering neighboring people, or manufactured for a portable use in an elegant appearance so that it is conveniently used in the outside and produced through mass production.
Under these circumstances, the structure of the earphone is designed such that it minimizes any pain in a user's ear, even when it is used for a long time, and designed such that the waveform of a received sound transmitted from a speaker is uniform so that a sound source can be heard without breakup.
Typically, an earphone is designed having an earcap, which is the part of the earphone placed in the user's ear, with a uniform shape. However, such a uniform shape cannot accommodate the varying physical parameters of different users' ears. In addition, even when the earphone has an optimized sound emission structure, it cannot accommodate the varying auditory senses which are different for each person.
Accordingly, there is a need for an earphone having an earcap that may be customized for each user's physical and auditory characteristics.